Top 10 Films of 2017

2017 is an odd-numbered year, which means it's got to be extremely weak. Boy, did it deliver that promise. The good films were few and far in between. It's the living embodiment of Sturgeon's Law, where only 10% of what was released was worth it. Perhaps I miscalculated and there were definitely some films I missed, but that's how it feels.

It's probably for the best, anyway, since I was suffering from a burnout in terms of reviewing movies that I've seen on the big screen. Some movies either just didn't give me much to talk about or I didn't think I would do them justice. Actually, it's my thought process that was overloading to the point where I wasn't capable of writing anymore. It's why there was a two-month gap in the lack of content for this site.

I almost didn't want to make a Top 10 list because of this, but the annual tradition of this site must go on. This is the 10% that redeemed this year for me; the ones that I hold in high regard. First, as usual, I'll be naming my honorable mentions: the ones I liked, but not as much as the ones that I officially picked:

The Lego Batman Movie, John Wick: Chapter 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Wonder Woman, Cars 3, Spider-Man: Homecoming, mother!, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Lady Bird, The Florida Project, and Thor: Ragnarok

Without further ado, let's begin.

10. Loving Vincent

Behold, the world's first fully-painted animated feature. That right there is enough for the curious mind to watch it, but it's thankfully not the only thing that it offers.

Actually, let's talk about the animation first. It is a visual marvel to behold. The backgrounds nicely emulate the works of Vincent van Gogh, even having a lot of call-backs (see if you can spot them all). The character animations, which were all rotoscoped, were also pretty good, even if some dipped into the Uncanny Valley at times. That's not to mention that the visuals helped enhance the experience. It gives the movie an ethereal and magical feel upon watching it. If this movie was entirely in live-action instead, then the impact would have been severely lost.

Apart from that, it's an intriguing tale of what caused the death of the artist himself. We go from different points of view from the people he has met and what kind of person he was. That scene where van Gogh was helping a little girl draw a chicken was a nothing short of sweet. If you're fascinated with van Gogh, then Loving Vincent is a movie that I recommend. It's an overall loving tribute to the father of modern painting.

9. The Shape of Water

If there is one word that I can describe The Shape of Water, it's "elegant." It's one of those movies that just enchants the viewer because of how relaxing it is. The score by Alexandre Desplat and the cinematography are only part of that. It's almost hard to put into words, but you'll have to see the film yourself to know what I mean.

All of the performances are spot-on. Sally Hawkins, Doug Jones, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, and Richard Jenkins are all spectacular in their respective roles. You also know a movie's that good when it makes an inter-species romance great to watch. Thanks to the 1960's Cold War setting, it's also a tale of tolerance. It's a theme that is all too relevant these days, making it a great reminder of sorts. The Shape of Water is a beautiful and extravagant movie and worthy of the number 9 spot on this list.

8. Blade Runner 2049

There was a lot riding on a sequel to one of the most beloved sci-fi films of all time, and one of my personal favorites as well. Thankfully, Blade Runner 2049 exceeded expectations. I think a part of why is because it not only respects the original, but also stands well on its own.

While the movie is around two and half hours, it was never boring to watch, and this is pretty slow-paced. I guess I was just invested in seeing what the world has become thirty years after the original, seeing what has progressed or gotten worse. It also has an intriguing mystery that left me guessing throughout.

Top that off with beautiful cinematography, superb production design, great visual effects that made this world come alive, and an atmospheric score. Some audiences may have a hard time getting into this one, but if one stops and digs deep into it, then they're in for something grand. Blade Runner 2049 is a thinking man's sci-fi film that continues the theme of what it means to be human that'll probably be analyzed for years to come. The only disappointing thing about this movie is that Harrison Ford doesn't angrily point his finger.

7. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

Captain Underpants is an uproariously funny movie, with humor that's both low-brow and smart at the same time. Its animation complements it thanks to the well-done slapstick and unique art direction. Props also go to the voice actors, especially Ed Helms who perfectly switches between affably evil Mr. Krupp to jolly dumb fun Captain Underpants.

Humor isn't the only thing that it offers, though. The main characters, George and Harold, are funny and endearing enough to latch onto when their friendship is threatened by being put in separate classes. It shows the nature of pranks going too far and how the consequences can catch up to them, if not soon. It's not a bad thing to teach to children.

With the amount of immaturity that it contains, Captain Underpants had no reason to be this good, yet it is. It's an "epic" film that captures the silliness and irreverence of Dav Pilkey's novels, filled with enough comedy and heart that makes for one of Dreamworks' finest movies. As the Waistband Warrior said, never underestimate the power of underwear.

6. War for the Planet of the Apes

In the third (and possibly final) film in the Planet of the Apes reboot series, Andy Serkis continues to shine as Caesar, being haunted from the events of Dawn and fearing of going down the dark path. All he wants is peace between the apes and humans, but the world makes it harder for all of them. There's so much emotional weight that you can't help but sympathize with Caesar, as if he hasn't gone through enough.

What also made this movie great is Woody Harrelson as the Colonel. Continuing the grey and gray morality theme of the trilogy, he has actions that make us question his humanity and if what he is doing is right or wrong. He's probably the most complex villain in the series.

The movie took me a bit to appreciate because it can be pretty hard to watch at times, whether it would be Caesar's moral dilemma or how harsh the Colonel is treating the apes. The darker tone is nevertheless countered with some levity from Steve Zahn's Bad Ape and heart-tugging moments from Nova (Amiah Miller), a little girl who the apes find and care for. It's an overall bittersweet movie that caps off the Planet of Apes trilogy and even bringing things full circle with the original 1968 film.

By the way, the title's a bit misleading. This is less of a war and more of the apes retreating to a new home. Shouldn't it instead be called Ape Escape?

5. Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi

If The Force Awakens was a return to form, then The Last Jedi is a stepping stone in a new direction. It does feature some familiar story beats to The Empire Strikes Back (and even the same goal), but it felt new at the same time. It's a story about learning from failure, but that's easier said than done.

A lot of the characters continue to shine with all the screentime they have. There's Rey (Daisy Ridley) learning the ways of the Force and coming to terms with her origins, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) continuing to feel conflicted over the Light and Dark, and Poe (Oscar Isaac) overcoming his recklessness in helping the Resistance survive. Perhaps the most intriguing character arc is Luke's. He's disillusioned with the Jedi, and it takes Rey some time to help him get out of that funk.

Some fans complain about Luke being "out of character." Every single word in that statement is wrong. Fans need to realize that people change as the years go by. How Luke was in Return of the Jedi isn't going to be realistically carried over in a film set thirty years afterwards. Luke's character arc was fitting enough, and Mark Hamill gives out one of his best performances.

Another thing worthy of mention is that the film is incredibly suspenseful. If there is one thing that The Last Jedi captured, it's the feeling of being both outnumbered and outmatched. Over the course of the film, I felt scared for the Resistance. The image of the First Order continuously firing their cannons at the main fleet was enough to capture that feeling, something that I never got in Empire, and that's my favorite entry in the series.

It's not a perfect movie, though, mainly because of a couple of story issues, though they didn't detract from the experience. The Last Jedi is a daring and thrilling continuation of the Star Wars saga that's funny, action-packed, dramatic, and suspenseful. With all that has went on within the movie, though, I'm concerned as to how Episode IX will follow up on this.

4. Coco

No, this movie is not ripping off The Book of Life. It centers around the same holiday, but the comparison stops there. Now that I have that out of the way, Coco has become one of my top favorites in Pixar's filmography.

It does feature a lot of familiar tropes, like the family who doesn't want the protagonist into reaching his goal, a "liar revealed" subplot, and one that I do not want to spoil. Apart from the latter, which I wasn't all that crazy about, it still provided an entirely captivating story about discovering your roots. The characters are as likable as they can get from the young and outgoing Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez), to the sly Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal), or even the goofy xolo dog, Dante.

Pixar also continues to enthrall the audience with its beautiful animation. It just screams "Mexico," whether it would be the character designs or the setting. The Land of Dead itself is a such vibrant and gloriously detailed location full of warm colors. The animation on the skeleton characters are also taken advantage of, whether it's for laughs or playing a part in the story. That's not to mention how expressive they all are despite lacking any flesh at all.

Seeing as how the film was extremely well-received in Mexico, Pixar gets bonus points for capturing their culture immensely. Non-Mexican viewers will be able to see a different perspective and probably gain some appreciation in the end.

3. The Disaster Artist

The Room is a miracle all on its own. It's so entertainingly bad, that it makes us wonder what happened behind the scenes that resulted in the final product that we got. The Disaster Artist illustrates this, from how Greg Sestero and Tommy Wiseau met, to what lead to the making of the movie, to the finished product.

James and Dave Franco are absolutely great as Tommy and Greg, respectively. The former even humanizes Tommy pretty well. We see that he's goofy, incompetent, and kind of a jerk on set; however, he has his moments where he feels really down because of how Hollywood works. Greg is a character that the audience sympathizes and relates to with all the trouble he goes through.

The main highlight, of course, is the overall making of The Room. The things that went wrong are strongly detailed, and they can be either funny or heartbreaking to watch. It can also be pretty darn inspiring for anybody who wants to get into filmmaking. It encourages people to press on, even if things don't turn out the way they wanted. Not bad for a spiritual successor to Ed Wood.

2. Logan

While Marvel gave us three superhero movies and the DC Extended Universe provided Wonder Woman (their first good movie), Logan still triumphed over all of them. I would also argue that it outdoes all of the X-Men movies. For all the fun those movies provide, this one gave us a compelling narrative full of pathos, humor, and character development.

Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart return as Wolverine and Xavier, respectively, and gave it their all in their final film together. They're portrayed as aging and decrepit characters, all past their prime. After 9 movies, it's a long overdue take on these characters that make us feel for them.

A great new addition is Dafne Keen as Laura. She is absolutely savage this side of Hit-Girl from Kick-Ass. This is then countered by her child-like innocence ('cause she's a child, of course) and her father-daughter bond with Logan. In short, the character is great and Dafne Keen was amazing in the role. If she continues to pursue an acting career, then I hope she has a bright future ahead of her.

What also helped this movie was the action. It's not action-driven, but for what it has, they're some of the best to be put out in the series. The opening scene establishes the absolute brutality of this movie's nature. All those moments of seeing Wolverine and Laura shred and gore some bad guys made this worthy of the R-rating. It's not even forced in just for that rating; it plays a part in this gritty and bitter portrayal.

Logan is brutal, somber, and positively heartfelt. I won't lie that I was nearly in tears by the end; it's that powerful of a movie. It's a solid send-off to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. Afterwards, it will be a tough act to follow from here. It's also the closest we'll have to a film adaptation of The Last of Us.

1. Baby Driver

If I can name the most satisfying film that I've watched this year, that honor would go straight to Baby Driver. It's one that I'm confident it will be hailed as a classic as the years go by. Nearly everything in this film is great, where I could probably write an essay on the many things that work here.

It's a fun and engaging tale about the difficulties of escaping the life of crime. Baby (Ansel Elgort) is a character we root for as we see that he has a reason for leaving. The romance he forms with Debora (Lily James) is adorable and heartwarming as it gets. The crew in the heists aren't just two-dimensional crooks, as some have their own quirks and traits. The film's also well-paced to the point where there isn't a dull moment.

The soundtrack is probably the biggest highlight of them all. The selection of licensed songs are not just there because they sound great, but because many scenes are driven by them. Examples would be the opening scene being set to "Bellbottoms" or mundane stuff like stacking money to "Egyptian Reggae" or firing bullets while "Tequila" is playing. It's the attention to detail that Edgar Wright is known for in his films that make for some great rewatch value.

I could go on and on, but Baby Driver is the film that I went back to and thought about the most this year. Edgar Wright has been continuing his streak of amazing films after the Cornetto trilogy and Scott Pilgrim, making him one of the best directors working today. It's as entertaining as it is well-crafted from its direction, script, soundtrack, stunt-work, and editing. It's my favorite movie of this year, and thus, it's added to the Favorites list.

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And that concludes the year 2017. Not a great year, but it's good to think about the ones that made it worth all the trouble. It hasn't exactly been a productive year for me, and I have no idea if I will recover from this burnout. It's there that I have made the decision to take an indefinite break from blogging. I don't have the same energy as I used to from 2013 to 2016. I need to clear my head for the time being.

Feel free to name your favorites from this year in the comment section below. Anyways, I hope everyone has a Happy New Year and may we continue to see more great movies down the line.